Nerves of Steel
by Skylion992
Summary: A new trainer from Orre (OC) moves out and begins his adventure around the world, aiming to dominate every league, terminate evil gangs, find out his powers and kick ass. OCxHarem. Rated M for dark humour, violence & sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

"Let's move out, Juggernaut. It's time for a new player to join the front." a young man shouts towards his companion and they start walking through the blinding sun.

"Lairon!"

* * *

 **Welcome ya'll to my first Pokemon fanfic. I've been reading a lot of these and decided that I should make one too. This story is based on my OC's adventure through every region (slight AU) there's been an anime/game in (no, this isn't a 'my fantasy fic'). His alignment is something around Chaotic Good to Lawful Neutral so expect him to be a good person but he doesn't mind at all doing some... illegal stuff to further his interests.**

 **Characters will be present from the Anime and Games, depending (you'll see). This is the Prologue so it's gonna be a bit short and calm, but my goal is to have each chapter have at least 3k words, as with my other story. The 2 main Pokemon our hero will have are Aggron and Gardevoir, the rest will be revealed with time.**

 **There will be dark humour jokes, some gore here and there, violence, sexual themes (probably lemons since this will become a harem too) and all that M rated goodness.**

 **I will not delve in a lot of information here in the AN as everything will be explained (concerning the plot) in the Prologue below. Enjoy and see you on the flipside.**

* * *

"Michaeeeel!" shouts a feminine voice which resonates through the whole house. "He is gonna miss it…" the same voice mutters.

"I'm up, I'm up…" tries another voice to shout back but their voice is too rough in the morning for that. This particular voice came from our hero and protagonist, Michael Griffith. He is a teenager boy just turned adult on this very day. "Oh shit, the license!" he shouted and sprang out of bed as soon as he finished the exclamation.

You see, in this world filled with Pokemon, every child's dream is somehow related to these peculiar creatures. Wether they want to be Pokemon Breeders, Pokemon Trainers, champions, doctors, Gym Leaders, builders, teachers etcetera all of them were connected to Pokemon. The dream of our young man is to become a Pokemon Master, but it wasn't always like that. He only decided once he became 14 that he will be a Trainer, even though children become Trainers as soon as 10 years old.

His past is a bit more complicated, though. Ever since he could see, him and his parents were forced to stay in hiding and move from region to another, until they finally found one where no one even dared set foot except for the locals. The region of Orre: wasteland nearly barren of any crops and Pokemon, deserts scattered around the land, cities filled with the worst of the worst morally. Here they could live their lives without having to hide, but they would have to fight for it.

However, as luck would have it, the first liveable place they found was Agate Village. A lush, green forest-village which was populated by old professional Trainers. They welcomed the family with open arms once the elders discovered their predicament. Some were still wary of them as nearly nobody is crazy enough to step foot in Orre with a new-born child unless they're criminals, but all went well for them and they were allowed to live in the Village, as long as they pulled their worth.

"Go and shower, I already prepared breakfast!" he heard from downstairs. This voice came from his caretaker, an elderly lady named Olivia. She took care of him ever since his parents passed away… well… ever since his parents were murdered by the crimins of Orre. Long story short, they were passing through Pyrite Town, the most scum infested town in Orre. The reasons are still unknown to this day to him, all he saw that day was their corpses thrown in a stream.

From that point onward, he decided that something must be done about these people and gangs, so he took up Pokemon Training with the village's elders to further his career and become the Pokemon Master his parents wished him to be, to take care of such cities and corruption.

But until he would become one, he took up a job with the local Sheriff to help him catch thieves and criminals through the region, a bounty hounter, if you will. That's how he amassed a small fortune for when he goes to visit other lands for his journey.

"Yeah, yeah. Juggernaut, get my equipment and put it on the bed, bud." he shouted then lowered his voice to talk to his companion, an Aron he found when he was just 5 years old wandering through the desert while going to get water, now Lairon. It was on the verge of death, probably from dehydration and starvation, as there weren't really any rails or bridges the Aron could eat. Michael brought him home and then to the local Pokemon Professor, Krane. Ever since then, the little Aron stuck with him through thick and thin, earning his name "Juggernaut" after standing his ground against a horde of Tauros without even blinking to protect his friend, then evolving into the Lairon he is now.

After the refreshing morning shower in an arid climate such as the one in Orre, Michael was ready to start the day, and his new life.

His equipment consisted of a blank white T-shirt under a pitch black jacket with rolled up sleeves just above the elbow that sported silver linings with pokeball shapes on the side of his shoulders, a silver-coloured interior. He also wore chestnut brown jeans. For footwear, he had black trainers with silver linings. His accesories consisted of black finger-less gloves with a rubber grip for throwing pokeballs, a silver Poketch on his left hand, a black duffel bag and finally, a white cap with a black pokeball emblem on the front.

You see, after the incident with his parents, he decided that once he reached the age of 18, he would venture out into the world and begin his own Pokemon journey, to truly become the very best.

"Eat up fast, you promised Krane to be at his lab early and he has a lot of work to do. You're not the only Trainer passing through his laboratory." said Olivia.

"Yeah, I know. I just… overslept a little…" Michael responded and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, Mike… You've grown so fast and handsome... Today you're leaving us and starting your own adventure like we all have…" the elderly woman talked slowly and started tearing up. Michael was told by many women that he looked very handsome even though he didn't see anything special in himself. He had dark brown hair, short on the sides but caught in a small ponytail on the upper side which exited through the cap's back gap, amber eyes with a grey tint, sharp facial features and a scar on the left side of his lips. His build was pretty athletic and tall since he ran nearly everyday through the desert to search for people or Pokemon that needed aid.

"Come on, auntie Olivia. Don't make me get all emotional." our hero said as tears prickled at his eyes once he thought of all the times his 'aunt' helped him through life.

"Lai, Lairon!" shouted his companion and brought the two back to reality.

"Right. I have to go now. I'll miss you with every fiber of my being, auntie Olivia." Michael said and hugged Olivia.

"Me too. Please take care of yourself, I cannot bear to lose you too. Goodbye." spoke his 'aunt' with heaviness on her heart.

"Until my road leads me back home. Goodbye. Let's move out, Juggernaut. It's time for a new player to join the front."

"Lairon!" exclaimed his travelling buddy and sped forward towards the Laboratory.

 _Professor Krane's Laboratory_

"Here goes nothing yet everything." whispers Michael and pushes the doors open to the building. "Professor Krane?"

"Ah, Mike! A bit late but no worries, I expected that to happen so I moved your appointment forward. Are you ready to truly begin your life?" shouted a voice from the back of the lab- Professor Krane.

"I was ready since others decided to take someone else's life." Michael mutters to himself with a grim tone before returning a smirk. "You bet'cha."

"Perfect. You know, your… parents passed through here years and years ago. Your father left me a box and since then I haven't touched it." Professor Krane brought up a box from behind him. "He said 'Give this to our son when he decides to take up Pokemon training. Let him know we believe in him and we believe he can change the world.'"

"Well… let's open it then." says our hero with an even tone… until he saw what was hiding inside. "A Luxury Ball?! These are the most expensive pokeballs probably ever made, created for the world's richest people! How…" he trailed off, amazed at the sight in the box. The Luxury Ball was obviously empty, waiting for a Pokemon to be caught with it. The device had a sticker just above the button, a steel shield.

"Here is your license and your pokedex which should work on any region you might go to next." the Pokemon professor smiled at the bewildered now-Trainer.

"Thank you so much, Krane." smiled our hero and closed his eyes as he held the Pokeball close to his heart, then looked down at Juggernaut which had sparkling eyes at the sight of the ball. "Hey, Jug. Will you be my partner through this adventure?" he kneeled and asked the Lairon which gave a shout and headbutted the pokeball.

"My pleasure. Trust me, it makes me as happy as the Trainer when I see them bond with a Pokemon and begin their journey. Although I have a question if you don't mind answering: What region will you travel to first, if not Orre?" the Professor sighed with content and then looked Michael in the eyes as he asked the last question.

"Well…"

* * *

 **Feel free to suggest the first region Mike shall go through!**

 **That's the beginning of our hero's adventure. I'll be back with the next chapter soon™, feel free though to submit Pokemon this character should obtain through his adventures (I have a few ideas myself), as I aim to have each region take quite a lot of chapters and time to go through. This OC will know quite a lot about Pokemon since the story implications, making him a little overpowered for the beginning.**

 **Also, if you think the character should have special powers (Aura, Psychic, made-up stuff etc.)**

 **I guess if there are no reviews, though I'd be pleased to see that people want to see more or have ideas they wanna see, I'll just choose a Region at random and I'll see about the rest.**


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected Encounters

"The land of abundant relations between Pokemon and Humans… we made it, bud. After 18 years we left that dusty hellhole. Everything has so much more colour, so many more sights to see…"

"Lairon Lai…"

* * *

 **AN: Aye, here we go with the next chapter. To be honest I was kind of impatient with writing so the first suggestion for a region I got I already started writing, so Hoenn it is. Thank ya'll for reviews, f &fs and all that goodness! Also, do tell me when I make grammatical mistakes (that are about the English language obviously) or such things since I ain't no native speaker and they help me overall.**

 **Harem will be made of humans mostly unless I find a reason to include Pokemon but yeah. There I'll include characters like the girl protagonists from the games and some other more special ones.**

 **I'll use the horizontal line to separate battles, Author's Notes and travelling sequences.**

 _Pokemon_ **\- thoughts, locations, battle 'pointers', actions such as 'yawn' or 'cough'**

 _"Pokemon"_ **\- telepathy talking, pokedex descriptions**

* * *

"I probably shouldve thought of that earlier," said Mike as he scratched the back of his head and released Juggernaut.

"Looks like I can be handy yet again, then. You know, Aron and the like come from Hoenn. It's a giant islandic region, dubbed as 'land of abundant relations' due to the amount of people bonding with Pokemon there," expressed Professor Krane with a smile after a bit of thinking.

Mike put his hand up to his chin thoughtfully, then looked down at his companion, "You hear that, buddy? We might even find you some of your own kin," then looked back at the Professor. "You seem strangely fond of Hoenn, though, Krane."

"Well… yeah," he said with a guilty tone. "That's where I was actually born. I came here with my family and became an Orrean when I was in diapers so it's not like I really had a choice. My parents wanted to research the Region and let me continue their work, you know. But enough about me, have you decided?"

"Ah screw it. Why not? It's not like I have any other better option. Might aswell start in the middle of the regions!" shouted Michael and adjusted his backpack, giving it one final check.

"Woo- _ahem_ I mean, could you please visit Professor Birch when you head there? He's a very good, old friend. He lives in Littleroot Town and will definitely be able to help you get settled with knowledge of the land and all that jazz." celebrated the scientist.

Mike extended his hand out for a handshake and Krane accepted it. "Sure will. Thanks again for everything, Professor. I'll head out to Gateon Port and go with some cruise ship I can find to take me there."

"Take 'em by the storm, Michael..."

On their way to the port, Mike and Juggernaut tried to stay away from dangerous cities as much as possible, thinking they will ressuply at Gateon.

"Hey, Jug. C'mere," said our hero towards his partner and brought up the Pokedex. "Time to see your ablities in written form."

Suddenly, a robotic female voice started talking as the Pokedex finished scanning the Lairon: " _Lairon - The Iron Armor Pokemon. Lairon tempers its steel body by drinking highly nutritious mineral springwater until it is bloated. This Pokémon makes its nest close to springs of delicious water._ "

"Well that scared the crap out of me, moving on… huh? You're heavier and taller than the average Pokedex numbers. Gotta put you on a diet I guess," joked the Trainer at which his Pokemon let out a small grumble. "Lai…"

"Gender: Male - Oh man, I thought you were a wee lass all this time," he said with a faked thoughtful voice and the Lairon headbutted his leg. "Easy there, bud. You hit like a mini truck."

"Ability: Rock Head - Aha! So that's how you used Head Smash on that Tauros leader to drive them away without feeling anything!" exclaimed Michael, proud of his revelation.

"Nature: Brave - yep, that's your nature alright..." he continued with a low voice as if talking to himself..

"Characteristic: Likes to sing and dance - oooh, you have something to tell me?"

"Ron." Lairon rolled his eyes and nibbled at his Trainer's foot.

"Ouch, ouch! Alright, it says you are 'capable of taking hits'. I'd say 'quick tempered' too but what do I know."

"Moveset: Head Smash (Egg Move) - Iron Head - Take Down - Protect…" whistled Michael "You're a powerhouse and a half ain't ya?" which prodded his companion to straighten its back and walk proudly, head in the air… until he tripped over a rock and fell face first. "Smooth." the hero sniggered but stopped once he felt the ground start to rumble. "Battle position," he whispered with a grim expression and Lairon got back up, feet evenly spread. "Sounds like an Onix or Steelix is trying to surprise us from below. As if we haven't dealt with such tactics from them before. Use Protect and aim downwards!"

Juggernaut enveloped his underside in a blue forcefield and awaited patiently for the inevitable attack.

"Steeeeeel-iiix!" roared the beast from below as soon as the ground cracked and it tried to hit the Lairon with Dig but got repelled back by the Protect.

The Iron Snake Pokemon dug another hole in front of Juggernaut and tried to bite him with Crunch. "Let him bite you!" shouted Michael and his Pokemon complied, waiting as the Steelix came close to bite into his steel armor.

"Now, Iron Head into Head Smash!"

"Lai-ron!" shouted Lairon and arched his head backwards as it got enveloped in an even thicker layer of iron, then delivered a blow to his Opponent's head with all his might. Coating the Head Smash in Iron Head transfered the power's typing to Steel, so while still ineffective, still better than a rock type move.

The sheer force alone was enough to make the Steelix recoil back, a dent visible in his massive head, then the pain kicked in and the Iron Snake dug away from the fight.

Michael smiled and high-pawed Lairon "Hell yeah! Our first legitimate fight with a wild Pokemon and we destroyed it. Let's show Hoenn its future champion!"

* * *

Nothing potentially life-threatening happened during their travel to Gateon Port. They took the first ticket to Hoenn they found and took off towards a new world to their minds.

The cruise ship looked nearly empty of people as nobody would be crazy enough to venture into Orre and nobody in Orre had enough money to leave the place, unless they already had roots in the big cities. "Look at that," whispered Michael as his eyes twinkled looking at the vast ocean. "We aren't even close yet it looks so much more different than what we are used to seeing…" he continued and Lairon got on two feet with great difficulty and peered over the edge.

The Pokedex' mechanical voice booted up, giving information about every Pokemon they saw in the water: Mantine, Kingdra, Sharpedo, Wailmer, Magikarp… the kinds of Pokemon Mike only read and heard about as he learned everything about Training.

The Trainer closed his eyes to feel the breeze "I feel as if I lived under a rock all this time compared to the travellers seeing such things daily- and I kind of did."

Sadly, there weren't any Trainers on the ship other than pure adventurers, photographers or researchers so the 2 retreated in their assigned cabin and looked over the Pokedex or revised strategies. "By the way, Jug. We should name any good combos we find so the enemy can't try to copy our moves. The only one we know of so far is Iron Head with Head Smash so… call it Iron Smash. That should surprise them and give us the upper ha-" Mike tried to finish his explanation but a loud horn interrupted him, "Sounds like we're here."

"Oh sweet baby Arceus, that's a hell of a view…" whisper-shouted Michael and admired the paysage, then helped Juggernaut get up to see it himself, which left the Pokemon speechless too.

"We have landed! Please disembark within 30 minutes. We hope you had an amazing experience," said the Captain of the ship through the ship's speakers.

Mike looked around for one last time then got off the ship, stepping into the first city of their first region. "The land of abundant relations between Pokemon and Humans… we made it, bud. After 18 years we left that dusty hellhole. Everything has so much more colour, so many more sights to see…"

"Lairon Lai…"

They looked around the dock then left the large building. "Slateport City" said the first sign they saw, then Michael brought up the Pokedex to check the map.

"Alright, so. If we want to reach Littleroot Village we must get a smaller ship and go South. Looks like we gotta set sail again, then," he said to his companion and closed the Pokedex. "Maybe some sailor on the beach could help with that," he muttered and took off towards the beach filled with locals and tourists.

"Excuse me, Sir. Do you know where I could get a ship that sails near Petalburg?" our hero asked the first sailor he saw.

"You bet your ass I know somebody. This guy! Names Edmond," the older man shouted and pointed at himself with both thumbs. "If ya win a battle against me I'll get ya there, charge free!"

Michael, however, was confused about the prospect of battles for something in return. "Huh? My name is Michael."

"New one, eh? Here's one of the unwritten rules of Pokemon Trainers, kiddo: if ya lose, you pay the winner. If you win, the sod pays ya. It's how Trainers can keep training and how people are encouraged to bond with their Pokemon."

"That sounds pretty amazing. What do you do if you have no money or if the loser doesn't want to pay?" asked the novice Trainer with fascination.

Edmond grinned at the last question "One. Ya go in debt to that Trainer or are known as a scammer to every trainer. Two. Ya have Pokemon still conscious, he doesn't. Figure the rest yourself. Now prepare yourself for a battle if ya want me to get ya for free to Petalburg!"

* * *

 _Michael vs Sailor Edmond - Round 1_

"Alright, your grave! Juggernaut, battle position!"

"Wingull, let's go! Ya can get the first move, I'll go easy," shouted Edmond from the other side as they moved to a makeshift battlefield.

"Your last mistake, Take Down!" the beginner shouted and Juggernaut sped up forward as Wingull flew up, then attempted to jump after it but the bird dodged.

"Wing attack!" ordered Edmond and Wingull approached Juggernaut with glowing wings, aiming for his side.

"Intercept with Head Smash!" shouted Michael and the Iron Armor Pokemon smirked, coating his body in energy.

"Oh… fuck," simply said the sailor as he watched his Pokemon being too close to dodge and the opponent took off in mid air straight at the bird with a fully powered Head Smash, hitting Wingull straight on, instantly knocking him out. "Alright, no games then." he continued with a worried expression. "Machop, you're up!"

Upon seeing the new threat, Michael tensed up and whispered to his companion. "Careful here, Jug. You're 4 times weaker to fighting moves and you haven't had to fight against any fighting types yet."

* * *

 _Michael vs Sailor Edmond - R2_

"Machop, Karate Chop!"

"Here he comes… Protect!" commanded the newbie Trainer and his Lairon complied, just in time to avoid the Karate Chop of the enemy. "Quickly, Take Down!"

Juggernaut backed away from another Karate Chop then jumped forward and tackled Machop with his whole body, sending him skidding.

"Low sweep! Don't let him breathe!"

 _What do I do… A single fighting move is enough to seriously wound him…_ thought Mike, analyzing the situation. "Protect again!"

Lairon quickly raised another Protect and deflected the Low Sweep. "Now, Take Down again!"

Unfortunately for the pair, the same tactic wouldn't work again. "Perfect, Karate Chop!" shouted Edmond once he saw Lairon jumping at his Pokemon once again.

"Take Down into Head Smash!"

"Aw, fuck." muttered the sailor as the attacks connected and they blew sand everywhere on a 10 meter radius. They waited in silence as Lairon walked out of the smoke looking worn out with a smirk. "Well then. Follow me, kid, I'll take ya to Petalburg.

* * *

The boat ride was quite short to Michael's surprise, with small talk going between the two Trainers. "Say, ya don't look like no local. Where do ya come from?" asked the older man.

"Orre, Agate Village. Nothin' much around there to see and do."

"Damn, you're a long way from home, kid. Either way, we're here now." Edmond said. "If ya need any more help, find me and I'll assist ya in any way I can."

"Thanks. I appreciate it," simply thanked our hero and got off the boat.

 _Littleroot Village should be close by... Gotta walk east then south through Oldale Village. Got it._ thought Mike while walking through Petalburg. "Hey, Jug."

"Lai?"

"I think you shouldn't try to dodge attacks unless they're very far away or under such circumstances. You're one of the slowest Pokemon yet one of the best when it comes to defense stats-wise, so we'll train for that. Also countering the abilities if you can," he explained.

"Ron. Lairon," the Pokemon agreed and they continued their way as they passed Petersburg City.

"We'll check all of these places when we leave Littleroot, don't worry."

* * *

And so our heroes travelled by foot towards the origin village of the Hoennian Professor, trying to avoid any battles and encounters with wild Pokemon… until they had to more or less encounter a wild Pokemon right between Oldale and Petersburg.

" _Help!_ " heard Mike in his head and looked around but couldn't see anything. "Did you hear that too, buddy?"

"Lai… Lairon! Ron!" Juggernaut started shouting and took off by himself in a random direction so his Trainer followed.

All of the sudden he stopped and Michael looked around until he laid his eyes on four Pokemon fighting… wait, no, three Pokemon fighting one. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the lone Pokemon was a Ralts which explained the cry for help he heard in his mind. The other three were a pack of Poochyena with a Mightyena leader, cornering the Ralts to a tree.

Time seemed to slow down as the pack leader prepared a Crunch and Mike ran forwards with Juggernaut. "Protect!" he shouted and a full forcefield covered the Ralts, repelling the pack which turned and started snarling at the two, trying to use intimidate but it failed on Lairon. The two parties were locked in a staring contest as the Ralts was staring with hopeful eyes at the new force. "Back away!" shouted the Trainer towards the pack of canines and started slowly moving towards the Ralts.

Realising what the human is attempting, he started growling deeply and flattened its body, an obvious sign of attacking. But Mike didn't stop until he was standing at the side of the Ralts which clinged to his foot instantly.

"Now, Juggernaut!" he shouted which surprised the three dark types and as they turned around towards the Lairon, the first Poochyena got his head smashed and sent through a tree, while the other was quickly hit with a Take Down and fell on its stomach. "That was only the beginning. Back. Away." threatened the Trainer slowly and Juggernaut joined his side casually.

Sensing no possible outcome where it might win, the Mightyena turned its back and started walking away… until it quicly turned around before any of them could react and jumped for the Ralts' throat. "No!" shouted Mike and extended his arm in front of the Pokemon. The pack leader didn't stop and it bit the Trainer's arm as it nearly crushed the bone, but Juggernaut quickly used a Take Down, then hit it straight in its forehead with Iron Smash at full power, completely knocking it out.

"Fucker," muttered the Trainer as he took some bandages from his backpack but the Ralts put its stubby hands on his hurt arm and started using some kind of ray on it.

Seeing the action as a potential threat, Juggernaut prepared an Iron Head but Mike was quick to dispel the aggression. "It's using Healing Pulse... I think," he said to his companion after he saw his blood stop flowing and recreated the skin, leaving only a fresh scar. "Thank you," he said and patted the Pokemon's head while his companion was keeping watch. "Damn, you most likely killed that Mightyena. I'd feel bad if it didn't try to kill us. Well, what'cha gonna do, let's head out, buddy."

"Ralts?" asked the Pokemon. _This Trainer just came up and saved me then wants to leave as if this was something normal?_ it thought with a puzzled expression.

"Hm?" he looked confused at the tiny Pokemon and crouched in front of it, so the Ralts approached him and put its hands on Mike's head.

" _Won't you catch me?_ " he heard in his mind and instantly connected the voice to the Pokemon in front of him. _It probably takes a great effort for her to use Telepathy from a distance at this stage of evolution…_ he thought further then opened his mouth to speak.

"I'll only catch you if you want to… I also don't have Pokeballs though." he explained and scratched the back of his head at the last remark.

" _Then I'll come with you until you get one!_ " Ralts exclaimed cheerfully and jumped on Michael's head then dropped down into his duffel bag with only the head sticking out. Seeing this, Juggernaut looked at him with a hopeful expression.

"No, I'm not carrying you too! You're heavier than some of these trees for Arceus' sake."

"Lai…"

* * *

Fortunately for the trio, Oldale Village was pretty close to Petersburg so they only had to walk a few hours. The first thing they did once they reached the Village was to visit the Pokemart to buy more Pokeballs and potions for their adventure.

"Go ahead and check through the shelves for the Pokeball you like," spoke Mike when they entered the Pokemart and the Ralts walked through the shop looking for Pokeballs.

As the Trainer and his companion were shopping for health potions and the like, Ralts waddled its way back to them with a love ball in its hands, so they put it in the shopping cart and bought the selected items.

"Alright, here we go," mutters Michael and bumps the Ralts' head with the Pokeball button, catching it then releasing it back. "Let me scan you for a second with the Pokedex so I know what I'm dealing with."

" _Ralts - The Feeling Pokemon. Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokemon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition._ " the Pokedex' mechanical voice speaks.

Mike reads from the Pokedex and comments on some topics.

"Gender: Female - good to know, I guess,"

"Ability: Telepathy (Hidden) - that explains how you're able to talk to me,"

"Nature: Timid - just as I thought,"

"Characteristic: Thoroughly cunning. - Good to know we have somebody smart here." he smirked and Juggernaut glared at him.

"Moveset: Heal Pulse - Magical Leaf - Disarming Voice - Confusion. Hey, that's pretty damn good for a little Ralts. I should give you a name… hmm… Serene sounds good and it looks like you like it too. Even Juggernaut does!" he said and his Lairon faintly blushed. Mike finished and patted the Pokemon's head then stretched. "We should probably crash in for today and continue tomorrow. I'll rent a Pokecenter room right away."

The exhausted trio entered the Pokecenter and Mike went to the reception. "Hey, can I rent a room for the night?"

"Of course! One person room?" said the Nurse Joy at the desk.

"Yes, please. How much do I have to pay?"

"Oh, nothing! We get funded by the Pokemon League since it earns so much money from Trainers that it uses said money for them!" cheerfully explained the nurse and handed him a key.

"That's amazing. Thank you," he spoke and walked through the halls until they found the room. "Ta-dah!" Mike presented once he opened the door after 5 tries and they took their places while their Trainer prepared in the bathroom. "Do you guys wanna sleep in-" he asked as he came out but he saw Juggernaut standing on his stomach with all legs outstretched on the ground and Serene stretched on his back between the spikes with a faint smile. _These two will make an amazing team._ Michael thought then went to sleep himself, closing his eyes after revising everything done for today, content with his journey so far.

* * *

"Why do I have to wake up... Mornin' gu- HOLY SHI-ARGH!" tried Mike to greet before opening his eyes and seeing Juggernaut's fanged smile right in front of him, scaring him into falling out of bed. "Dick," he muttered and got up to a laughing Lairon and Ralts. "Haha. Laugh all ye' want. Maybe I should consider the iron diet..."

"Lai! Lairon!" his long-time companion quickly went to his feet and tried to beg for mercy with fake tears.

"Not so funny now, eh?" the trainer smirks while getting dressed up then made sure to get everything. "Alright. Pokemon, roll out!" he shouted to his travel buddies and started marching with Serene while Juggernaut just sighed before following.

* * *

 **AN: Welp, first one done I guess, more to follow! Serene & Juggernaut will be the only Pokemon to accompany Mike to all the other regions by the way. Gotta admit, I wasn't too creative with Serene's name but hey, that's the best one I could think of for a Pokemon like her and with such attributes.**


	3. Chapter 3: Strength & Balance

"Hello?" he asked once he entered. "Professor Birch?"

"Hm? Who are you?" Michael heard a female voice question.

* * *

 **AN: Goin' good so far with the story, so I'll address some future or current topics here and at the ending AN.**

 **In this world, Pokemon do get serious injuries but only if brutal amounts of force was used against said Pokemon, for example a Pokemon being on the verge of being knocked out or already knocked out and the adversary starts using high powered moves on it. Also, if the Pokemon is too strong it can kill or injure another without his opponent being KO'd (for example a champion's Pokemon fighting some normal trainer's)**

 **Regarding Serene, she won't have any intimate relations with Mike (not saying he won't go screw some other Gardevoir later on, you'll see) but she will hook up with a member of Mike's team.**

 **If you have Pokemon ideas for our trainer's team, you can mention them and I'll see considering I have a few ideas of mine too.**

 **This chapter is more geared towards action and fighting, see ya'll on the flipside.**

 **"** _Pokemon_ " **\- telepathy, Pokedex talking**

 _Pokemon **\- thoughts, change in location, change in time, battles (X vs Y, Round), actions such as yawning, coughing etc.**_

 _"_ **Pokemon** _" -_ **accentuating**

 **Horizontal lines are for ANs, travelling or battling sequences. Do tell if there are too many/too little as I decided not to put them between Rounds too.**

* * *

"Arceus damn it! What the hell is up with Pokemon like Poochyenas or Wurmples? Do they have a death wish or something?" shouted Mike in frustration as yet another Wurmple tried to attack them on their road to Littleroot Village.

" _Pokemon are **very** territorial. I don't think normal Pokemon can scare them when it comes down to territory._" he heard in his mind from Serene.

"I feared as much. Maybe Juggernaut looks too harmless." Mike began with a mocking tone.

"Ron…" muttered the Lairon and rolled his eyes. "Lairon ron lai," he retorted with a smirk and Serene translated word by word.

"I'm the one that looks like a dumbass? You're an overgrown rock!" shouted his trainer.

"Ron ron ron!" Juggernaut laughed and ignored the insults thrown at him by Mike.

"Fuckin' unbeliavable..." muttered the human but still smiled after a while. "Oh, is that what I think it is?" he squinted his eyes at a shape in the distance. "Hell yeah, we're finally in Littleroot! I can see the laboratory from here."

As our trio neared the village, they analyzed the sorroundings for a few seconds: houses here and there with only 2 of them looking a little different. One of them looked worn down as if nobody lives in it and the other completely tidied and luxurious. "I wonder what all that's about," murmured Mike and continued on his way to the large building.

"Hello?" he asked once he entered. "Professor Birch?"

"Hm? Who are you?" Michael heard a female voice question and a beautiful girl entered into view. She had light brown hair and a bow tied in the center with two big strands of hair hanging off each side of her face. She had blue eyes and wore some kind of black underdress and a red tank top, with the underdress coming in a ragged fashion out of the bottom part of the tank top. Further down, she sported very short jeans but under those she had some kind of black spandex shorts that reached her knee. The girl had a knapsack on her lower back being held up front with a belt that sorrounded her slim waist. For footwear she had regular yellow & red trainers.

"I-uh, I'm Michael Griffith. Pleased to meet you," he said as his eyes went over her body, then followed, "This is Juggernaut." he pointed at the Lairon standing at his side which happily smiled, "And this is Serene." Mike finished the introductions by prodding Serene to look over his shoulder to the girl, then extended his hand.

"May Birch. Why exactly are you looking for my father? You don't exactly look like a… newbie." the girl called May shook his hand and seemed to… check him out?

This caused Mike to become flustered but he quickly mentally scolded himself and responded, "I come from Orre to begin my journey and decided to start with Hoenn. But yes I am no stranger to such things as battles," he completed while patting Juggernaut.

"Orre? Haven't really heard of that except in some books. But either way, we seem to be in a predicament as I don't know where he is either..." she spoke with curiosity which took a hint of worry.

Seeing the worried expression of the girl, he put on a smile and tried to reassure her, "Surely he must be somewhere around here, maybe in the nearby routes? I'll go search for him."

The action seemed to cause the effect he wanted as the Professor's daughter slowly smiled and looked back at the trainer, "You're sweet… but he's my father, you know? I'll come with you."

Michael traced back his steps trying to figure where the Professor could be since he didn't spot him while coming into town. "Serene, try looking for him using your mental black magic."

" _It isn't really that simple, Trainer Mike. There are lots of psychic signatures around here and at this stage I cannot distinguish between them_." he then heard in his mind.

"Got'cha. Also, just call me Mike. Sir Mike if you're Juggernaut." the trainer smirked and spotted his Lairon glaring at him, then… grinning? He turned around and saw May looking at him with a weird expression. "Telepathy."

"Ooh, a Ralts with Telepathy? That's pretty rare and amazing," she spoke with a relieved tone. "Thought you went crazy there for a se-" May tried to joke but heard a call for help, "SOMEBODY! HELP!"

"Shit," muttered Mike and began running with the girl in tow. As he got closer to the calls, he saw a Mightyena slowly approaching an older and slightly overweight man.

"May! Thank Arceus! I need some assistance!" the man which Mike guessed was Professor Birch shouted.

* * *

"Juggernaut, Protect on the Professor! Serene, Disarming Voice!" quickly issued Mike and both of his Pokemon released their powers right as the Mightyena prepared a Crunch. Juggernaut put down a shield in front of Birch while Serene used her fairy-powered voice to damage the Dark type, taking it by surprise.

What surprised everyone even more, though, was the following move taken by the canine. Instead of fleeing or attacking, it used Sand Attack to blind them then Roar to force the two Pokemon back away enough so it could go for the kill on Birch. "Quickly, take one of the Pokeballs!" the Professor shouted and pointed to his backpack which contained 3 balls. Mike didn't wait a second, quickly diving for the bag and throwing the first ball he could. "Treecko!" the Pokemon cried.

It was revealed to be Treecko, one of the three starters given to newbies from the Hoenn region, that much Mike knew. "Fuck, what moves does it have…" muttered the male trainer while May also threw a Pokeball and revealed a Combusken. This one didn't come from the bag, though, but from her Pokemon belt.

"Treecko, uh, use Tackle! Pound! Something damaging!" shouted Michael and after the confusion in the Mightyena's and Treecko's eyes passed, they both faced each other with the grass type running forwards then at the last moment, jumping up and bringing his tail down on the canine's snout.

"Lara, Double Kick! Assist Treecko!" May spoke up in the meanwhile The fire type apparently named Lara charged into the fray and delivered two super effective quick kicks to the Mightyena but got bitten back by it with Crunch.

Juggernaut and Serene were still struggling to get the sand out of their eyes as they couldn't risk firing away and hitting any of their team mates with poor vision. "Treecko, Pound again!"

The Gecko Pokemon hit the dark type once more, forcing it to release the Combusken from its grasp but nearly getting bit in return. Fortunately for them, Juggernaut just got rid of the sand in his eyes and charged at the Mightyena from behind, throwing in the distance into some trees using Head Smash.

* * *

"Hell yeah! You're pretty good, Treecko," Mike cheered and kneeled to the grass type which high-fived him. "Tree!"

The Professor approached them with May by his side, "Thank you so much for helping me, trainer. But I do not believe I know your name."

"Michael Griffith. I came here at the request of Professor Krane from the Orre region and to begin my journey," the boy spoke with relief.

"Ah, Krane… Let's go back to the lab and we shall speak there properly," Birch told the two trainers and they began moving towards the laboratory.

"So, Michael. How come you decided to start here, in Hoenn and not in Orre or some region closer to it?" the Professor interrogated while motioning to a tea pot at which Mike nodded with May looking curiously. On the table were some casual food items such as toast, while on the ground were food bowls for Pokemon like Juggernaut anf Serene, which contained iron ores and berries respectively.

"Well, I have already seen most of the things Orre has to offer and it isn't really a well developed region in terms of society, so the league isn't like what it is in regions like these. To be fair, though, Krane recommended Hoenn to me so since I didn't think of anything better, I decided 'why not?'"

Birch seemed to go in deep thinking at this, offered the two trainers tea, then spoke up, "Krane and I were amazing friends during his travels to Hoenn and through our journeys… We still are but we don't visit each other as much as before and nobody can be blamed for that, really."

"Yeah, his funding isn't really that great. I had to work for a lot of years to get enough money to get out of that Arceus-forsaken region," said Michael with some regret in his voice.

The Pokemon Professor nodded before he remembered why they were actually here. "Ah, what am I doing. You're here to begin your journey, not to talk with an old man. Let me help you get started, even though you seem to have experience already."

The three got up and walked to the end of the building. "Normally, I'd give trainers a starting Pokemon but you seem to have 2 of them already, so if you don't want one I won't force it on you," spoke Birch as the three started Pokemon looked up at Michael, awaiting his decision.

The boy looked at the three before deciding, "While I don't doubt you guys are fantastic Pokemon, I already kicked some ass with one of you. Treecko."

At the sound of its name, the Gecko smirked and walked forward to the trainer, already having known the decision.

"Here's Treecko's Pokeball, a badge case and some more empty Pokeballs just in case you want to catch other Pokemon. I saw that Krane already gave you a Pokedex so there's nothing else I can be of assistance to you except some information, which, if you allow me, I'll also mark that on your Pokedex," the Professor offered and Mike complied, giving his Pokedex to the older man. "I'll mark the Gyms on your Pokedex and Pokeranger bases in case you need help. The easiest Gym is a rock type Gym, so prepare accordingly. The closest is a normal type one. The hardest one which climbs to near Elite Four level is the water Gym but you shouldn't worry about that for now. Good luck on your journey, Michael."

"Thank you, Professor."

After the exchange of goodbyes, our hero left the building and aimed for the first gym. "Wait, Michael!" he heard from behind and turned around. There he saw May running towards him so he slowed down his pace. "I-um thought that you might need some help with your journey… soo… I asked my father if I could help you while doing research for him." she slowly spoke while playing with her fingers.

"Huh? What research?" asked Mike.

"He thinks there used to be many more Pokemon in this region ages and ages ago so he needs me to do some field research for him," she said.

At this the novice trainer stopped to think for a few seconds, then looked at his companions which happily nodded, "Well… The more the merrier, I guess. Welcome to the team!"

"Thank you!" she exclaimed and hugged him, then straightened her clothes and moved by his side as they began walking forward through the Pokemon infested forests.

* * *

The walk to Oldale Village was nice and quiet for the pair with small talk going between the two with the purpose of getting to know each other more.

"So, what's the first gym you'll attempt to beat, big boy?" asked May slyly.

"Well, closest is the normal type gym so I guess that one. Shouldn't be too hard with Juggernaut being 4 times more resistant to normal attacks," Mike spoke certain about his friend's abilities. "By the way, what Pokemon do you have other than Lara? You seem like the type of trainer to adventure out."

"Well… I also have a Skitty, a Shroomish and an Eevee. I didn't really travel a lot except for when my father needed me to do so. This is the first time I'm going out to just explore the region," the girl responded with a sigh.

"Don't worry about that, there'll be planety of things to do in our little adventure." Mike winked, "Oh, I forgot to do something. Treecko, come out!"

"Treecko?" asked the Gecko.

"Lemme scan you so I know what abilities and such you have... Alright, here we go."

" _Treecko - The Wood Gecko Pokemon. Treecko has small hooks on the bottom of its feet that enable it to scale vertical walls. This Pokémon attacks by slamming foes with its thick tail._ " the Pokedex' mechanical voice presented, allowing Mike to begin commenting on some characteristics of the Gecko.

"Gender: Male - as I suspected,"

"Ability: Overgrown - boosts abilities when you're heavily damaged, that will come in handy,"

"Nature: Hasty,"

"Characteristic: Alert to sound,"

"Moveset: Pound - Absorb - Leer - Dragon Br- Huh? You have a Dragon Breath egg move?" the trainer asked the grass type and put the Pokedex back, at which Treecko shrugged. "Anyway, I guess you want a name like your teammates? What do you think, May?"

"Hmmm… He looks like a Brian to me... How about Briar?" she spoke with her hand on her chin. Hearing the name, Treecko nodded happily.

"Alright. Welcome to the team, Briar. You want to stay inside or outside?"

"Treecko!" the Gecko said pointing at the Pokeball, prodding Michael to return him.

"We still have a few hours of sunlight to get to Oldale so let's get to walking, eh?" he asked his human companion and they began walking again.

* * *

They soon reached the Village and instantly went to the Pokecenter. "Here we are. Let's go and book in our rooms," spoke May, then approached the Nurse Joy working there, "Hello, could we rent a room for tonight?"

"Of course! One or two beds?" the Nurse innocently asked.

"T-Two," the girl responded, thinking its not worth making a big deal out of the question.

"Here you go! Enjoy your stay and please try to be more… quiet." Joy winked with her cheerful attitude and the pair left for their room, not daring to look at each other until they both got in the room.

"The left one is mine!" quickly said May and threw her bag on the bed, followed by her whole body.

"Take whichever one ya want, I'll go down to grab some food for us and the Pokemon. What do yours eat?"

"Just grab some Oran berries since they have every flavour so nobody can be picky." she responded and Mike closed the door with Juggernaut in tow as Serene remained with May.

"Soo… Serene. How did you meet Mike?" the girl asked after a few silent moments. The Pokemon approached her and put its hands on her head.

" _He and Juggernaut saved me from being killed by a pack of Poochyenas. I owe them my life,_ " Serene spoke in the trainer's mind with a happy expression.

"He seems like a really good person…," said May with admiration in her voice, "I wonder…" she began but the door opened and Mike stepped in with a tray of berries and another of human food with Juggernaut holding the door.

"Why hello there, madames."

"Ron." lightly headbutted the Lairon so his trainer moves.

"Alright everybody, let's eat!" happily said May as she released her other Pokemon and they all introduced themselves before chowing down.

After the whole group finished, the Pokemon were all returned except for Juggernaut and Serene as always. Mike prepared to go to the bathroom but realised May isn't in the room so he made sure to knock on the door as they both wanted to shower before going to sleep. "May, you there?" he asked and received an answer just when he was about to go in, "Y-yeah! I-I'll be done in just a minute!" she quickly responded and he could've sworn he heard some low sounds from inside but ignored them.

True to her word, she was out of the bathroom in a minute with a red face.

"What too-" Mike was about to ask when he saw her only wearing a bathroom gown and couldn't stop his eyes from wandering further down, admiring every curve he could see.

"D-don't stare, you idiot! Go and take your shower..." May quickly shouted with an even redder face then turned her head away in embarrassment.

"Sorry!" he apologized and ran into the bathroom with his clothes. _Damn she looked good though…_ he thought while inside and didn't even give second thoughts.

Once he came out, he saw his two Pokemon sleeping like before and May looking at them. "They look pretty cute together," she whispered

"I know, right? Those two will definitely go far," he whispered back and laid down in bed. "Good night."

"Night."

After their little incident, the two trainers both went to sleep and prepare for the road ahead, deep in thought about their accomplishments so far and the future.

* * *

"AAHHH!" someone screamed which woke the male trainer up.

"Ugh… Mornin'…" muttered Mike as he looked around until he saw May on the floor looking traumatized, "Juggernaut?" he asked and she nodded. "Arceus damn it, how many times do I have to tell you, Juggernaut? Don't scare people in the morning."

"Ron ron ron!" the Pokemon laughed along with the Ralts, making their trainer crack too until May glared at him.

"Is this a frequent occurance?" the she asked and straightened her clothes.

"Yeeaaah… he does that quite often."

May shakes her head then turns back towards Mike, "I'll go get dressed in the bathroom."

"Aww, why?" he asked with a smirk which made her blush, "Nice try, but no." she said and closed the door.

The crew gathered their items and necessities after having breakfast then left for Petalburg. On the road they encountered some unfortunate enough young trainers that attempted to challenge them, only to lose their money from being defeated.

* * *

"Damn, I nearly felt bad for those kiddos," said Mike once they reached Petersburg and headed for the Pokecenter. "Though they were the ones that wouldn't take no for an answer and we got some more money for our journey."

"Yeah, kind of a dumb move when the guy you're fighting has some steel monster right beside him and you have a worm…" May agreed with him and they left the Pokecenter after healing up.

"That's what she said." the young man muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing?"

The two checked their Pokedexes to locate the Gym directly until they spotted it… a few dozen meters away. "Wow, that should have not taken us that long to see. It's literally the only building of this size here." the female trainer facepalmed.

"Not my brightest moment..."

"Lai…"

"Hello! I am guessing you are here to fight the Gym leader?" a lady surprised the group by speaking up as soon as they entered the gym.

"Yeah, I am," Mike answered shortly and the lady nodded then typed something on a computer. "Follow me, please."

The woman led the 4 away through the halls of the Gym. The building looked pretty bland and nothing special really stood out except for a few trainers which seemed to be training, probably under the guidance of the Gym leader. "Here we are," she muttered and opened a door with a scroll on it, revealing a battle room with a wooden floor and thin-looking walls. In the middle lied a man with his eyes closed. _The Gym leader…_

"Which one of you wishes to fig- oh, May. How come you visited?" the man's tone suddenly changed upon seeing May. "Did'ja decide to become a proper trainer?"

"Nope. I'm here to encourage Michael, Norman," she said and pointed at her male companion.

"Ah, I see. Name's Norman. How many badges do you have?" the leader brought his hand up for a handshake.

"Michael Griffith and… none. I just began my journey here but trust me, I have enough experience." Mike accepted the handshake.

Normal seized the boy up for a second, looked at Juggernaut, then went to the other side of the battleground. "Alright. I don't give out this chance to everyone but you peaked my interest. I hope you're ready because I won't go easy! Don't mistake Normal types for blandness and weakness."

A trainer from the stands came up to the middle and started with the rules, "Three versus three, no substitutions allowed. Once a Pokemon is knocked out or switched for another partner it is out of the match. The Gym leader gets the first move and throw. Whoever loses a Pokemon gets the next first move."

* * *

 _Michael vs Norman - Round 1_

"Let's go, Slakoth!" Norman shouted and out of the Pokeball appeared a Slakoth looking bored.

Mike thought for a few seconds before getting out his only full Pokeball. "Briar, cut 'em up!"

"Slakoth, Scratch!" the leader commanded and Slakoth charged at the Treecko, surprisingly nimble for such a Pokemon.

"Briar, lean back then come around with a Pound!"

The Wood Gecko Pokemon waited for Slakoth to near until the latter tried to swipe sideways at which he leaned back just enough to not get hit, then quickly did a spin in order to hit the enemy's other incoming Scratch with his tail, then hit again and sent his opponent skidding.

"Slakoth, Slack off!"

The Slacker Pokemon quickly began his favourite activity, healing himself up in the process. "Oh no you don't! Briar, Leer then Pound!" shouted Mike.

The Treecko quickly glared at Slakoth, making him lower his guard then travelled with amazing speed towards him, quickly interrupting his healing with a critical hit. "Finish him off, one more Pound!"

"Scratch again, try to defend yourself!"

Once he heard his trainer's orders, Briar flipped above the struggling Pokemon as it honed its claws and the two got locked in a power struggle, with the Treecko forcing his tail through Slakoth's claws until the hurt Pokemon gave in.

At the sight of the fallen Pokemon, the referee stepped in, "The Gym leader's first Pokemon is down. Please send your next choice."

"Go Mike!" shouted May from the bleachers while the other trainers just seemed hyped to see anyone lose or win.

"Return, thank you. Don't get too excited about your little win, I just got Slakoth. Let's see how you deal with this. Vigoroth!" Norman spoke then began the second round.

 _Michael vs Norman - Round 2_

"Start with a Faint Attack!" shouted the Gym leader and his Pokemon charged into the fray with hungry eyes, claws enveloped in dark energy as it jumped towards the Treecko.

"Shit, Pound behind you!" Mike exclaimed and although confused, Briar backflipped and brought his tail down just in time for Vigoroth's real attack, surprising everyone.

"I see you're quite educated about Pokemon moves, Michael!" Norman spoke.

"I had years and years of theory, time to put all of that into practice!" the young man proudly announced, "Leer!"

Once again, the Gecko's eyes glared with a special tint towards the Vigoroth, leaving the Pokemon suspicious. However, that was what Norman had been waiting for. "Encore!"

A lightning fast attack left Vigoroth's hands and enveloped Briar's body, making it glitter.

"Oh, that's bad. You will only be able to use Leer for a while! Make the most out of it and keep using it!"

"Now, Scratch!"

The Wild Monkey Pokemon charged yet again at the Treecko and jumped on it as the poor Pokemon couldn't attack back other than non-powered punching and tail slamming, then began swiping with its claws until the Pokemon was out of commision.

"The trainer's first Pokemon is down. Please choose your next Pokemon," spoke the referee.

"Return, Briar! Good first match, eh?" Mike muttered, then kneeled towards Serene. "You up to fight?"

" _Anything for you, Mike._ " she responded with telepathy.

 _Michael vs Norman - Round 3_

"Magical Leaf!" Michael instantly ordered.

Serene gathered a bunch of leaves using her psychic powers then sent them batch by batch towards the dodging Vigoroth until a batch hit. "Now, Disarming Voice!"

"Get in close with Faint Attack!"

The Ralts began amplifying her voice with psychic powers, damaging Vigoroth as it struggles to break through. Although badly bruised, it enveloped its claws once again in dark energy and hit the psychic type from the side, grounding her. "Another one, finish her!"

"Now, Confusion!" _I hope this works out…_ thought Mike.

Seeing the enemy get closer, Serene forced as much power as possible into her mind then quickly overloaded Vigoroth's brain, confusing it and heavily damaging it. "Hit it with another Disarming Voice!" yelled Michael. As Vigoroth crazily swiped around trying to hit something or defend itself, it tripped and fell face first into the floor.

"Vigoroth is unconscious. May the Gym leader send out his last Pokemon?" announced the ref.

"Good job, Vigoroth. I gotta say, I'm impressed. I don't usually battle greenies unless they have a few badges but I saw something special about you and I am pleasantly surprised. But now I must go all out. Slaking!"

"Nice one, Serene. You're pretty hurt though and I won't throw you in like cannon fodder. Juggernaut, battle position!"

"The Trainer substituted his Pokemon, the battle now between the last Pokemom of each combatant." said the referee.

 _Michael vs Norman - Round 4_

"Let's start off strong, Take Down!"

Juggernaut took off while covering his body in white energy that molded on his body.

"Faint attack!" Norman ordered and Slaking slowly got up while charging his fists with dark energy. As Juggernaut got too close to Slaking, the opponent jumped right in front of him and delivered a quick punch downwards, hitting him down the head but the Lairon didn't stop and continued until he crashed right into his adversary, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Slaking!" the Gym leader shouted with a worried tone.

"King…" the Pokemon moaned and went back to loafing around.

"Slack off."

"Now, Jug! Iron Head!"

Juggernaut ran for his enemy and attempted to deliver a quick hit but Norman had other plans, "Facade!"

"Protect then continue!"

A blue shield instantly defended the Lairon from being hit but he had to stop in order for the move to work, losing all momentum. Fortunately for him, Slaking began loafing around so he got a clean Iron Head hit that pushed the Pokemon back.

"Slack off, again!"

"Again, Iron Head!"

The Iron Armor Pokemon once again charged at Slaking as the latter was healing. Unfortunately, he finished and awaited his trainer's command which didn't take too long to follow, "Focus Punch! Finish him!"

Slaking began charging up his finishing move while Juggernaut was closing in. Knowing that the Focus Punch could end everything, Mike issued different orders, "It's too late to stop now! Charge at him then stop one meter in front of him. After that, hit the ground with your whole power from Iron Head!"

Mike's tactic surprised and confused the trainers in the bleachers, Gym leader included. They all waited a few seconds for the two forces to clash till the Lairon was right in hitting range for Slaking. The latter extended its arm, fully powered with Focus Punch, but Juggernaut quickly hit the ground, smashing his head on the battlefield as rocks flew up and although the Focus Punch still hit, the move was partially cushioned by all the debris it encountered.

"Payback time, Iron Smash!"

Looking at the trainer then at the Pokemon, Norman could've sworn they were in full sync as if they were both born cooperating with each other. He knew that due to Slaking's truant ability the battle would be over after the move hits so he just smirked. _I'll have to check out this young man's career in the future…_

The Iron Armor Pokemon shook his head to escape the dizziness of the hit, then ran in front of the loafing Slaking with a fully powered Head Smash coated in Steel power. The Gym leader's Pokemon was hit literally head on, the force from Head Smash being enough to force it to crash into the ground with the back of its head and crack it, body unmoved from its place.

"Slaking? Are you alright?" Norman asked and the whole Gym awaited the Pokemon's response but none came.

"All of the Gym leader's Pokemon are unconscious. The winner is Michael Griffith!" the ref shouted at which aplauses were heard from the bleachers from trainers and May.

* * *

"Well, I was pleasantly surprised today, Michael. I am considered a pretty tough Gym leader and yet you defeated me. I present to you, the Balance Badge!" said Norman after returning his Slaking.

"Hell yeah! Thank you, Norman," Mike spoke with relief and the two handshaked.

Turning around, the trainer saw May jogging towards him before lightly hugging him. "Amazing job, Mike! You defeated your first gym and a pretty good one at that."

"Thanks, May, but I did nothing other than issue moves, my Pokemon are the ones that fight. Speaking about Pokemon, I should probably get to a Pokecenter and heal them! Thanks again, Norman, for the battle."

"My pleasure. Stop by when you feel like going for a rematch!"

* * *

"What's your next move, champ?" whispered May once the pair were in their beds with the Pokemon sleeping like always.

"I guess Rustboro city for the rock type gym. We could either go through the forest or follow the routes, time could either be shorter or longer on either, so I guess we'll see." the boy responded and both went into thought. "Well, I'll shut off for the day. Good night."

"Night…" whispered back May but she wasn't truly paying attention. Inside she was thinking of this trainer that entered her life in 2 days and is already turning all kinds of gears in her. _I'll deal with this some other time…_ she concluded her thoughts and fell asleep.

* * *

 **AN: So that was May's introduction to the story, things can only go up from here so we'll see what happens next.**

 **Keep in mind that Mike and Juggernaut battled together for years and trained in Orre (I did mention that they also hunted criminals for the sheriff or just got attacked by wild Pokemon) so unlike in the anime where for some reason Ash gets his ass handed by a Snivy, he will be pretty resourceful early on (plus the fact that the Aron evolutions are broken.)**

 **Also wanted to mention that this universe is set in what would be the middle version of every Pokemon game. (ORAS but Emerald for this one, B &W but 'Gray', Platinum etc.)**

 **On the topic of male protagonists… I am honestly undecided about it but I'm 90% sure I'll not include them as they would have to essentially be different people, considering Mike takes their place.**

 **If you have more questions, I'll try answer them in the next AN. Don't expect chapters to be released too often but I'll try. Thank you for F &Fs and reviews again!**


End file.
